Totoro
by Jimmy Superfly Snuka
Summary: Just saw the movie again on cable TV so I thought I'd work on this a bit. The origin of one of the R 0.5 characters from a different point of view. Global name changed and Chapter 2 revised.
1. A somewhat scary beginning

Disclaimer.

Characters from Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

Characters from Captain Harlok belongs to Leiji Matsumoto

Characters from Totoro belongs to Studio Ghibli.

There is not enough originality in my bones create nearly anything as good as the above.

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Chapter 1: A somewhat scary beginning.

His name is Oh-Totoro, and he is waiting for someone. Who is it? Well, he does not exactly know until that person shows up. When that happens, Oh-Totoro would cry out "Hey! Look at me!", and they would meet. At least that's what he thinks will happen, but he's not really sure. Heck, he's not much sure about a lot of things, because he's only a few days old.

The first few days of his life were somewhat interesting. He didn't have a name then. He did not have much of anything. He was not even sure of where he first came from. All that he know was that it was dark.

Then he was moving. Then he stopped moving. Then he moved again. This happened a lot. Sometimes it was bumpy, sometimes it was not. Sometimes Oh-Totoro could hear voices, and other times there was this loud, rumbling sound.

Oh-Totoro stopped moving for the last time when suddenly there was a sound and then everything went bright. He felt someone grab him and panicked. He wanted to escape, but he could not move. Every thing else was a blur mainly because he was scared out of his mind at the time until he was placed on a ledge.

A few moments a hideous creature was placed next to him. It was brown, hideous, with beady eyes, claws and huge, gnashing teeth a that were currently bared. Oh-Totoro did the first first thing that first thing that came to his mind: He freaked out.

"Oh my gosh what are you!" said Oh-Totoro.

"Oh my gosh what are YOU? said the creature, who seemed equally freaked out.

This went on for a while, and gradually increased as more and more hideous and high strung creatures were placed on the ledge and joined the freak-a-long.

It finally ended when someone said "WILL YOU IDIOTS KNOCK IT OFF".

All heads turned to the source of the voice. It was another creature unlike what they have ever seen before. It was tall, mostly black, thin, and it look perturbed. Oh-Totoro wanted to panic again, but thought better of it. A moment later the creature spoke again.

"Finally! I swear! Every friggin' time..."

Oh-Totoro was not sure what that meant, but kept on listening. The black creature composed himself, and looked less perturbed, but was still not looking too friendly.

"My name is Harlock. Welcome to Ogata's Toy Shoppe!."

"Ogata's Toy Shoppe? What's that?" thought Oh-Totoro. Apparently, one of the creatures around him had the same thought and made it vocal. To this, the creature known as Harlock responded.

"Ogata is a person. He owns a toy shop, and all of you are toys. Oh-Totoros, to be more specific. Apparently there was a Miyazaki revival recently and Ghibli wanted to cash in some more--Oh Crap! I'm rambling again!"

Harlock sighed.

"Look. I know this a lot to take in right now, and you probably did not understand half the crap that I said, but I can't have all of you causing a commotion and bother the rest of the toys."

There was a chorus of "Amen"s and a few "You tell em Cap'n"s from all around them. Oh-Tototo looked around, and there were many creatures of different shapes everywhere. He did not freak out this time. But there was one question nagging in his mind.

"What are we doing here?" asked Da-Totoro, and to this, Harlock replied "You are waiting for somebody".

"Somebody?" asked Oh-Totoro, "Who would that be?"

"A child. Maybe a grownup. I'm not really sure. No one really knows until that someone appears. And when you find that someone a great joy will come upon you, and you will live with give comfort that person to the rest of your days. Does that answer your question?"

Oh-Totoro nodded. Somehow that fact that he will be spending the rest of his life with a special companion seemed to warm his heart.

"So I guess I'm stuck here for a while"

"Until your person comes..."

"On more thing", said Oh-Totoro who then pointed to the brown creatures.

"Do I have to stay next theses guys? The sort of creep me out"

Once again, Harlock sighed.

"I did say that all of you are Oh-Totoros, right".

Oh-Totoro nodded.

"Have you looked at yourself lately?"

"Looked at my self?", Oh-Totoro asked. "I don't think I've ever done that."

And then, Oh-Totoro tried to look at himself for the first time. He was brown and had claws...

"Do I have--"

"Yes you do."

To this, Oh-Totoro said "Oh". Somehow the brown creatures did not look too hideous anymore.

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Author's Notes:

Okay! First chapter done! Good lord that was like pulling teeth!

I've finally taken the plunge into the world of fanfiction and what better story to write than the one that I've been tooling with in my head for the longest time. It seemed so simple when it was in my head. I but when I tried to put it down on text, little what-ifs and why-woulds started popping in my head and I had to rewrite whole sections to make things more coherent.

This chapter was supposed to end with Oh-Totoro meeting his person, but I spent too much time trying to describe his first day of existence...maybe too much time. Oh well.

I guess I should also give credit to Dean Koontz, because it's his "Oddkins" that inspired me to have a toy as the protagonist and have that companionship thing be the driving force as well as the Fade, which I will talk about in later chapters. I read "Oddkins" a looooong time ago so I apologize if I get any of the concepts wrong.

Any constructive criticism is much appreciated. I've already plotted out major points of the story, so any suggestions on who Oh-Totoro's chosen one should be, but you're all welcome to guess.

Hint: I nearly called this fic "Rosebud". Hint #2: It's Kodachi, although that does sound intriguing. Hint #3: Think classic movies.

Next Chapter (If I ever get on with it): The Fade.


	2. The Fade

Disclaimer.

Characters from Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

Characters from Captain Harlock belongs to Leiji Matsumoto

Characters from Totoro belongs to Studio Ghibli.

Mecha-Shiva belongs to the Cartoon Network.

There is not enough originality in my bones create nearly anything as good as the above.

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Chapter 2: The Fade

Of all the toys in the shop, Harlock has been around the longest. Harlock was Mr. Ogata's favorite toy as a child and when the toy shop was opened, Harlock was placed on the highest shelf to look over the place, and bless it with good fortune. Because of his high standing in the toy shop, none of the other toys ever called him Harlock. He is simply known as the Captain.

The Captain became indispensable to Oh-Totoro when it comes to seeking knowledge. When the subject of children and grownups as broached, the Captain made this reply:

"Well, Mr. Ogata is a grownup. Way back into the past Mr. Ogata was much smaller and was known as a child. He was not even called Mr. Ogata back then. His name was Kenichi. At least that is what others called him."

"Why did he change his name?" asked Oh-Totoro.

"Beats me", answered the Captain, "There are some things that even I don't know."

"Captain" said Oh-Totoro, "Could you answer me another question?"

"Go Ahead" said the Captain.

"When I find my chosen person, what can with him? I can't move like Mecha-Shiva over there, so I really don't have much to do"

"You can talk to them, cant you?" said the Captain.

"I can?"

"People, mostly children, can talk or at least listen to toys if they want to. Watch this... Hey Kenichi, you left the store room light on again!"

There was a pause, and then Oh-Totoro heard Mr. Ogata said "Oh Dear! I thought I turned that light off...", then area near the store room became slightly dimmer.

"That guy is so forgetful these days."

"I can talk to them" said Oh-Totoro. Somehow that idea made him feel warm inside, but there was one thing nagging in Oh-Totoro's head. "Captain, what happens if the chosen person does not want to talk to a toy?"

There was a long pause. Finally the Captain made his reply.

"I'll tell you later."

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And so Oh-Totoro began his quest of finding his special someone. Every day people of all sizes come in looking at the myriad of toys and some of them do not leave empty-handed. Every day, Oh-Totoro, along with his brothers (who are also named Oh-Totoro) excitedly wait for their special someone. Their clamoring was quite animated.

"Today's the day!"

"Hey is that my special someone...nope. Blast!"

"Ooh! Ooh! Right here! I'm over here."

Some of his brothers got picked up, while others like Oh-Totoro, did not. Even still, Oh-Totoro's enthusiasm was not lost.

Even more days passed, and the clamoring among the brothers was a little more subdued.

"Please let it be today."

"How long do I have to wait?"

"I don't think my chosen person ever come"

But still, Oh-Totoro's spirits remained high.

Even more days passed, and eventually, only Oh-Totoro and one of his brothers remain on the shelf. Then, one day, Oh-Totoro greeted his brother as he did every day.

"Brother, are you hoping that this will be the day?"

No answer.

"Can you hear me, brother?"

No answer.

"Brother? Are you mad at me? Why are you not talking to me?"

Still no answer.

Oh-Totoro looked into the eyes of his brother. There was no spark. No sign of life whatsoever. Immediately, Oh-Totoro sought the one toy that could help him.

"Captain! There's something wrong with my brother! I've tried talking to him many times and he will not answer."

The Captain sighed and replied.

"I knew it might have come to this. I think it's time to tell you something: Not every thing is as rosy colored as I mentioned. There are times when a toy never finds its chosen person. The toy will begin to despair, and when that despair becomes too great, the toy's spirit will disappear, and all that will be left is an empty shell. This is what they call the Fade.

Once this happens, no one will come for them anymore, and they get taken away. Don't ask me where they go, because I have no clue myself."

Oh-Totoro said was aghast. "This is horrible," Oh-Totoro said. "How do I keep this from happening to me?"

And the Captain made his reply.

"Well, the Fade happens to all of us eventually. Sometimes toys fade because they get broken, other times a child will grow up and may not need any toys in their life, and that will cause the fade."

Oh-Totoro started to panic. "What do you mean not needing toys? I thought you said that my chosen person would be together for the rest of our days?"

The Captain sighed and made his reply.

"As time passes, people, especially children will start look to the world around and explore the many things out there and will neglect something trivial as being able to talk to toys. A lot of them eventually forget that they did in the first place.

There are special cases like Mr. Ogata over there, who still has the heart of a kid (why do you think he owns a toy store?), but those people are few and far between.

Look. It's really hard to tell when you will fade, but I do know that moping about it may speed up the process, so cheer up, and believe that your chosen person will come soon. Once you find him, live your life to its fullest, and don't worry too much about fading. You'll be better off doing so"

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"Don't worry about it he says. How can I not worry about it?"

It has been days since Oh-Totoro has learned of the Fade, and he is the last of his kind on his shelf. His brother was taken away by Mr. Ogata and was replaced by other toys.

All around him he can hear the clamoring of the newer toys waiting for their chosen person. "If they only knew", thought Oh-Totoro. Oh-Totoro wanted to tell them the truth, but didn't have the heart. It wouldn't have been fair. No one told him the truth when he was new. Let them enjoy as many days as they can.

The day came and went, and, like the other days, no one came for Oh-Totoro. Oh-Totoro heard Mr. Ogata beginning to walk from the counter to switch to the 'Closed' sign and O-Totoro began to despair.

"Maybe there is no one for me. Maybe it would be better for me to just fade, and not deal with the disappointment anymore"

His thoughts were interrupted when the door opened signaling another customer entering. Make that two, from the sound of it. Someone big and someone small.

"Excuse me, but are you closing?" It was a woman's voice.

"I was about to, but please help yourselves," said Mr. Ogata.

"Thank You"

There was some light banter with the woman and Mr. Ogata; something about a day in the city with her daughter.

"So did you have fun?" said Mr. Ogata.

"Yup!" said a little girl. There was a tingling in the back of Oh-Totoro's head when he heard her voice. It was a feeling that Oh-Totoro never felt before.

"Now don't take too long. The store is about to close."

"'Kay, Mama!"

The pitter-patter of the child's footsteps went all around the store. The increase in volume indicated the child was getting nearer and nearer. Oh-Totoro had often heard these familiar sounds from different sets feet, and they always end in disappointment. This set of footsteps was no different as the child started walking away.

Somehow this set of footsteps was different. Instead of disappointment, Oh-Totoro felt anxiety. He needed to do something…fast!

And so Oh-Totoro desperately screamed.

"Heeeeeeeey! Oooooverrrrrr Heeeeeeeeeeeere!"

The pattering stopped... and it got louder as the child went closer... and closer... until Oh-Totoro saw its source.

It was a girl. She had brown hair, tied at two ends with pig tails. Her face was round, with a cute button nose, and the biggest, roundest brown eyes that Oh-Totoro ever did see, which are currently looking at Oh-Totoro with the same awe and wonder that he felt.

This was she. This was his chosen one.

"Hello! My name is Oh-Totoro. Wanna be friends?" was what he wanted to say, but before he can utter those words, two large (large for him anyway) hands picked him up and, Oh-Totoro found himself in what he would learn later as a hug.

"Totoro!"

Suddenly, the girl began moving Oh-Totoro's world became blurry, as he was unused to being jostled after being stationary for a long time. When his world stopped moving, Oh-Totoro found himself on Mr. Ogata's counter near the cash register.

"This one mama!" said the girl.

"Why am I not surprised," said woman known as Mama. She had kind eyes, and kind of resembled the girl except that she was larger. Mama stood at the opposite side of the counter from Mr. Ogata engrossed in a conversation, which Oh-Totoro tried to listen in.

"... saw the movie recently and it was all she would talk about."

"Well I'm glad I could help you. I'm sure your little girl would be happy with Oh-Totoro here."

Oh-Totoro looked around for the little girl, but could not find her. Then he noticed the two hands placed on the edge of the counter, which as followed by a tuft of brown hair and then the face of a little girl trying desperately to peer over a counter that was a little bit taller than her.

Once again, Oh-Totoro wanted to say "Hi", but he felt himself lifted into the air again, and placed into a bag. Oh-Totoro heard mister Ogata and the woman exchange some pleasantries, and he was moving again.

A voice cut through the air. It was the Captain.

"Congratulations, and good luck!"

Oh-Totoro replied "Thank you for everything, Captain!"

The door opened and then closed, and Oh-Totoro was surrounded by different noises. He then realized that he was away from the toyshop, which, until recently, was the place that he called home.

Oh-Totoro did not have enough time to ponder on that fact as two hands grabbed him and pulled him away from the bag. Once again he looked into the eyes of his chosen person.

And then Mama spoke.

"Oh no! You're gonna get him dirty!"

"I'm not Akane, mother! I'll be careful," said the girl.

"Make sure you do, dear," said the girl's mother.

"Okay!" beamed the girl who then turned to Oh-Totoro and spoke.

"Hi Mr. Totoro! My name is Nabiki! Wanna be friends?"

Oh how Oh-Totoro wished he could make his smile bigger to reflect how he felt. But he couldn't and he can only respond the only way he knew how.

"Yes. Yes I would."

The girl hugged Oh-Totoro and carried him to his new home.

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Author's Notes:

Okay! Another part over, it's longer than the first one!

Actually this is supposed to be a part of Chapter 1, but I got lazy.

I feel a little better about writing this Chapter than I did the last, since the words were coming out better. However, I had some difficulty trying to hide the identity of Oh-Totoro's chosen person until the last moment. Because of this, the dialogue felt sort of awkward. Oh well.

I just saw Totoro on cable TV, and I suddenly got the urge to take the dust off this story and tweak it a bit. I trying to make it my goal to finish this story by the time the DVD comes out in March. Three more chapters to go…

Once again, thank you Dean R. Koontz for giving me the ideas for the life cycle of toys.

Constructive criticism is much appreciated.

Next Chapter: Family Life.


End file.
